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Ever wonder why your favorite shirt always seems to wrinkle the easiest? Or how to get rid of those stubborn wrinkles without damaging a delicate fabric? Here we’ll list our best tips for keeping those pesky wrinkles away, without breaking out the iron.
Why do my clothes wrinkle in the wash?
Heat is one of the main causes of wrinkles in your clothing. According to Organic Clothing Blog, heat triggers the bonds of the fabric’s polymers to weaken, which causes the fabric to wrinkle. Some fabrics—like cotton and linen—require a lower level of heat (called a “glass transition temperature”) for the bonds to break, which is why they may wrinkle more easily than fabrics with a higher glass transition temperature like wool or lycra. Wrinkling in clothing is perfectly normal–but it doesn’t mean we need to resign ourselves to a wrinkly wardrobe! Learn how to prevent wrinkles in clothes with these 5 easy tips.
How To Prevent Wrinkles in Clothes
Use a Lower Temperature
How to keep clothes from wrinkling if heat is the number one cause of wrinkles? Use a lower temperature! Use a permanent press cycle or cooler water temperature to wash your garments. Likewise, if your dryer has a permanent press cycle or a cool down cycle, use it to blast your clothes with cool air at the end of the drying time. By using a lower temperature setting, your fabrics are more likely to stay under their respective glass transition temperatures, leaving them fresh, clean, and unwrinkled! If you do notice wrinkles in your clothes as you pull them out of the wash, you can gently pull out the wrinkles, leaving the clothes to settle crease free in the colder air.
Don’t Overstuff
Putting too many items into your washer or dryer at once doesn’t allow each garment to move freely throughout the cycle. This can cause stubborn creases and even trapped detergent buildup—yuck! Your clothes should have room to move around throughout the drying process.
Use Wool Dryer Balls and a Quality Fabric Softener
Learning how to prevent wrinkles in clothes can also help soften your laundry! Using Wool Dryer Balls and a quality fabric softener can help prevent wrinkles before they happen. Wool Dryer Balls lift and separate your clothes during the dry cycle, which allows air more room to circulate–so your clothes dry faster and with less wrinkles.
Don’t let your clothes hang out in the dryer
Once the drying cycle ends, your clothes sit in a jumbled pile, creating a wrinkled, hot mess. The longer laundry sits in a creased pile, the more deeply the creases settle and create wrinkles. To avoid this, use a drying cycle that includes a cool down period, and then remove and fold or hang your clothes as soon as the cycle ends.
Hang It Up
Delicate fabrics like linen are better left unfolded. For those easily wrinkled clothes, use non-wire hangers with rounded shoulders instead! Hanging them instead of folding or bunching will prevent wrinkles. In general, hanging clothes is a great way to prevent wrinkles or creases from items being folded in a drawer. If you have some clothing items that you love but always have to iron, try keeping them in a closet instead!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have more questions about how to prevent wrinkles in clothes? We have answers!
Does rolling up clothes prevent wrinkles?
Rolling up your clothes is a great way to prevent wrinkles when packing clothes. Folding your clothes creates creases, which can create wrinkles–especially if your clothes are packed for a long flight or trip. Rolling your clothes prevents creasing and wrinkles, so your clothes are ready to wear right out of your suitcase!
Why are my clothes wrinkled after drying?
Clothes can become wrinkled in the dryer for multiple reasons.
- Selecting too hot of a dryer cycle
- An overstuffed dryer
- Letting clothes sit in the dryer after the load is done
Luckily, all three of these problems are easily solved! Try lowering the temperature, doing a smaller load, or removing clothes as soon as the dryer is done. Our tips on how to prevent wrinkles in clothes should help you out in no time!
Do dryer sheets prevent wrinkles?
Some dryer sheets do prevent wrinkles–but at a cost. Dryer sheets work by coating your laundry in a sticky coating that gives the illusion of softness. This chemical coating then comes directly in contact with your body when you wear your clothes. Dryer sheets can also reduce absorbency for towels and sweat-wicking clothing. If you are looking to add softness to your laundry, try Dropps Fabric Softener Pods instead. Dropps Fabric Softener Pods are made up of tiny minerals that flow through fabric to naturally soften fabric without a coating.
How do you get wrinkles out of clothes without an iron?
Sometimes our clothes get wrinkled despite our best efforts. No iron? No problem! Hang the wrinkled garment on a hanger on the back of the bathroom door, then take a hot, steamy shower. The steam should relax the wrinkles and leave the item free of creases!